Earth II-A by Custom Job on the Way!

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With a couple of tweaks to the Earth II design: 25” scale rather than 25.5”, relocation of the tuning machines, a drastic calming down of the electronics (2 humbuckers, master volume, two tone, one 3 way switch), stoptail bridge, walnut with maple veneers, nickel plated rather than gold and brass, Madagascar Rosewood fretboard, and a couple of inlay differences, Earth II-A is going into build phase.

Earth II, for me, has proven to be an absolute love of a guitar. Seemingly endless tonal qualities that never actually hit that banal, nasal, unlistenable quality that so many so called versatile guitars that I’ve played have. The neck on it is all me. I’m not sure how any other player would feel about it. .. almost a wide, flattened V by the nut and slim/wide up top. For me, the 25.5” scale with 10ga strings is deal for bending up to 1/4 tones with precision. Since my 66 SG Custom, I’ve worked a lot with tremolo, however maximum sustain has always been important to me so the versatility of the Dusenberg Les Trem II was paramount.. though, honestly, the Shroeder Stop Tail on both Earth I and soon to be on Earth II-A is likely the most stable and solid bridge of any configuration I’ve played.

This gal is gonna be more of a giver. The shortened scale should loosen up the strings a little. The neck profile will be a little more traditional, early 60’s Gibson, though it’ll retain a bit more girth down by the nut. The headstock angle will be reduced a few degrees to lessen the severity of the volute and thereby, weight. The electronic configuration will be faster on the fly. The wire inlays on Earth II’s fretboard are downright dangerous and a problem waiting to happen (as I said, I built it for me and if it pierces a finger, it’ll be mine) so I have a nice double and quadruple marking set up for this one.

Anyway, while this stuff climatizes, I’m setting up my heavier equipment so I can dimension lumber once again. That should free up time and funds for a lot more builds. Be on the lookout for a Bass and an arch top model by the end of the year!

Published by Custom Job

Gavin John Sheehan (D.B.A. Custom Job) Is a Musician, Composer, Luthier, Builder, and Fabricator of 35 years. Before knowing what a luthier was, gavin took care of all his own instrument repair and customization. By the time he had his first job in finishing at a local funiture store, he’d been thinking about building his own instruments from scratch. A lot of years of repairing and working jobs, mostly related to carpentry, he picked up skills in furniture design, building, finishing and woodworking in general. Over time, as he’d encountered more complex instrument repairs, a lot of the work he’d done in the trades lent well to his work with musical instruments. After a 10 year spell living in Montreal, QC and playing all types of music, traditional and nontraditional western, eastern and experimental work, he began to fall out of love with the instruments he was playing (though he now misses a heafty amount of them). Around that time, he bought his first table saw for 150 bucks from a humidor maker which came with an almost embarassing amount of beautiful and highly figured woods. He carried at least 6 pieces of highly figured tiger maple and other odds and ends around with him for the following 15 years. Over that 15 years, he’d been doing work on other people’s instruments and building/restoring his own drumset, a combination 1948 Gretch Broadkaster he picked up in a junk shop and several other custom drums he built to go with it. He finally began construction of two Guitars (Earth I and Earth II) which would be the only electric guitars he’d allow himself to “Buy” after close to 5 years without a dependable solid body guitar. Gavin Decided to go into business in 2017, opening his first shop as Custom Job in Tolland, CT. He’s since moved to Sterling, MA and is building a home and shop down in the Quiet Corner of CT

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